


Walking in the Rain

by snowzone5



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Mileven, Modern AU, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-06
Packaged: 2020-07-29 09:10:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 21,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20079727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowzone5/pseuds/snowzone5





	1. Part Time Obstacles

The way Mike figured it he had two obstacles to overcome before he could drive his girlfriend to the movie theatre to watch the latest movie playing.

The first obstacle was that he didn't have a car. So he took the part time job at the local self-serve gas station that had been advertised. It didn't pay a lot, but it wasn't like the job was rocket science. You needed to be able to add and subtract and the cash register did most of that for you. He figured by the time the school year was over and through the summer, he could easily make the two or three thousand dollars it would cost to buy a half decent beater. As long as it ran, he knew he could keep it running with the help of Lucas and Max. Those two seemed to eat and breathe cars.

The second obstacle was the big one. He didn't have a girlfriend. And that had a big time suckage factor attached to it that wasn't going to be solved working at a gas station. Not a lot of girls to meet there. Well, there was a few, but they were getting gas in their Mercedes and were definitely _not_ interested in the nerd running their credit card through the machine.

It's not like girls weren't interested in him. Once Mike had turned fifteen, his parents let him grow his hair longer. Now he had hair like an early version Paul Stanley from KISS, or closer yet to the corkscrew hair of Marc Bolan from the English band T . R E X. It was always a mess. The girls seemed to like it. But liked his nerdy demeanor a lot less. The disinterest was returned when Mike found out they could barely spell their name let alone the big words.

So part time at the gas station it was. Mike had the night shifts, and he'd be lucky to see ten customers total. He managed to get a lot of reading done. He was almost embarrassed to say he was being paid a little above minimum wage to read science-fiction books and computer magazines.

It was coming up on 11 o'clock. Closing time. An older model car pulled into the pumps. Last minute customers happened almost every night, all claimed to be running on fumes. The guy who got out had a buzz cut. Well, maybe not a buzz cut, but really short hair nonetheless. Looked like he might have been military or something. He walked to the back of the the car as if he was looking for something. The guy threw up his hands, got back into the car and brought it around to this side of the pumps.

Mike went back to his magazine, waiting for the guy to actually figure out the whole gas pump thing.

A few minutes later the guy was still walking around back and forth to each side around the back of his car. Mike had no idea what the guy was doing. Mike wasn't supposed to pump the gas for them, and he certainly wasn't going out to help a guy who probably drove tanks for a living or something.

Mike went back to his magazine and waited for the ping on the gas console to indicate the guy was ready to pump gas.

It had to be five minutes now since the guy had pulled into the gas station. Mike's hand hovered inconspicuously near the alarm. Something wasn't quite adding up right.

Finally the door to the gas station opened up, and the guy came in.

Only it wasn't a guy. It was a girl. It was her who had the buzzed hair… and she was pretty. _Really_ pretty. Mike's heart pounded. It felt like the air had left the room. He knew he was staring at her but he couldn't help it.

He was definitely making her uncomfortable because she was looking down shyly not meeting his gaze and her face was crimson. She ran a hand over her close cropped hair.

"This is a little embarrassing but can you help me?" Her voice sounded like wooden wind chimes softly jostling in a light summer breeze.

"Always willing help a damsel in distress. Did you lose something out there?"

"Sort of…" Her shade of crimson had deepened.

"I'm allowed to borrow my dad's car for work as long as I top it off with gas every night. But I seemed to have lost where the tank is. I don't see where to put the nozzle in."

"Let's see if we can find it." Mike would have given any excuse to talk to his girl. To hear her voice. He would have paid rapt attention to her reading the ingredients off of soup cans.

Mike followed her outside. He went to both sides of the car to see if she had missed a hidden panel for the gas cap, but he already knew where the cap was.

He went to the back of the car and crouched down. She crouched down beside him, there thighs almost touching. Mike found it hard to breathe again.

"Let's just see…" He said in a a higher pitched voice than he would have liked.

He reached for the top of the license plate and pulled it down on its hinges. She was watching his every move to make sure she missed nothing. He turned to look at her and her wide golden brown eyes where less than a foot from his face.

Mike thought he was going to pass out. He watched her full lips curl into a smirk.

"I know I'm just a girl but I should have figured this out." She did not sound happy with herself.

"Marie Curie was _just a girl_'. Rosa Parks was _just a girl_. So was Susan B. Anthony. All girls, all women who changed the course of history, and science. And there are dozens more. Don't sell yourself short. Not knowing where a gas tank is, um, that's just small potatoes compared to what your potential is."

The girl looked at him in wonder. She didn't take his eyes off his face when she said, "thank you."

The sincerity in her voice was heartfelt. Mike didn't know if he had the strength in his knees to stand back up again, he managed without falling over and said, "no problem. You've got it from here?"

Her laugh was a short symphony. "Yes. I have to do this every night, so I think I've already mastered the process."

She came in to pay and he gave her change for a twenty. "You're new here?"

"To this gas station, but not to Hawkins."

She nodded. "I've just relocated myself. I used to live here… years ago."

Mike smiled. "Well, my condolences, you just did one of the most exciting things you can do in Hawkins... Fill up your car."

It made her laugh again, and that's what his intention was.

She backed away from the counter. She looked like she was stalling. She was about to push open the door to leave. She looked back over her shoulder, "so… I'll see you, um you'll be here tomorrow night? You have a shift?"

"If you're going to need my help, then I will definitely be here to find your gas tank tomorrow night." Mike gave her a an ear to ear grin.

XXXXX

Shit.

El was late getting off work. She had to fill the car back up before going home and she knew the only gas station that would be open was going to be closing soon. She was going to have to get her ass in gear.

She probably drove faster than she should have to the gas station. There was nobody at the pumps, and she could see the lone attendant reading a magazine behind the cash register.

Oh great, the grease monkey was probably reading a porno mag to pass the time and she'd have to interrupt him to pay for the gas.

She got out of the car and went to the back to take off the gas cap. It wasn't on that side of the car. She threw up her hands and shook her head, got back in the and backed it up manoeuvred it to the other side of the gas pumps.

She got back out to take the cap off, but the gas cap panel wasn't there either. Where the hell was it? The car didn't run on magic, it had to be filled up with gas.

This station was self serve so the attendant wasn't going to come out and do it for her, but maybe he'd know where to find it.

As she walked to the door of the station, she glanced in and saw that, the attendant wasn't really a grease monkey. He was a rock star. His head of shaggy black hair looked like a tangled mop. El felt a little funny. She liked to think she wasn't this shallow, but this guy was doing something for her.

She walked in and his deep, gentle eyes were staring at her. Had he caught her looking at him from outside? She looked down embarrassed, ah, he's probably staring at my hair. Ok, she was used to that. He'd never take another look at her with those amazing eyes, but she'd get over that.

She asked if he could help her, and his soft spoken voice made her breath hitch. Not just hitch. She'd stopped breathing.

He called her a damsel, and her heart stopped, then sped up. she had a hard time hearing him with the pounding in her ears.

She managed to explain what the problem was. Just barely managed. His lanky body came around from behind the counter and she turned to lead him to the car.

She didn't really care if he was staring at her butt. Her jeans were tight enough that most guys did anyway after looking at her hair..She _hoped_ he was staring at it, maybe even interested.

El? Are you seriously hoping a complete stranger is staring at your ass wondering what it looks like without your pants? Her internal monologue answered her: Oh, yes I am.

She managed to look into the car windows at her reflection, he was looking away, but definitely _not_ staring at her bum.

Oh, well. Not today. She didn't know whether to be disappointed that he wasn't, or that he was so polite he wouldn't think of doing something like that.

His voice sounded funny as he pulled at the license plate revealing the gas cap.

She felt like an idiot. She was self deprecating with her excuse. But then he told her, without an ounce of condescension in his voice, about famous women and that something as trivial as this was no judge of her true potential.

She just stared at him. His face was not more than a foot from hers. She could see his freckles. How thick that gorgeous hair was. Who _was_ this guy? Sure, he was cuter than he had any right to be, but he was smart, he _sounded_ smart. And he was kind. What was he doing working here? She thanked him in a voice she'd reserve for somebody who had just saved her life. He hadn't saved it, but he had definitely changed it forever.

After he struggled to stand up to head back inside, she stared at _his_ ass. Touché El. You can never complain again.

She remembered talking to him as she paid for the gas, but she would need deep hypnosis to be able to recall any of the details of the conversation.

Her heart fluttered, she couldn't catch her breath. In an act of desperation she asked if he would be working tomorrow night.

His answer and his beautiful smile made her heart twinge. She couldn't wait to get into the car, to be in a familiar space so she could breathe normally again. And because she didn't think she could look at him any longer without her weak knees giving out on her completely.

She sat in the car alone for a minute fumbling with her keys. She cleared her throat She couldn't help herself and she said, "Excuse me? Mr. Gorgeous Grease Monkey? I love you and I want to have your children."

She didn't laugh. Her heart jackhammered in her chest. Ok El, that wasn't too shallow.

El's life priorities had just changed. All she really wanted to do was see him again. Talk to him. Be in his presence. Ok ok. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair and kiss his face all over until his freckles wore off. That would suffice for now.

She wouldn't get to do that tomorrow night of course, but she really _really_ wanted to.


	2. Repeat Customer

That night, Mike closed up the gas station. He took the tank readings in the ground, he took the pump readings, he consolidated his cash with the sales, did all the paperwork. He made sure it all balanced out. He didn't need any shortages coming out of his pay.

He locked up the station engaged all the locks and the electronic alarms. He biked home, made a bit of a midnight snack of eggos. He got into his pj's and went to bed.

Mike Wheeler did all that. But he remembered none of it. All he could think of was that girl. Her eyes were captivating, That cute hair cut, her voice, her laugh, her eyes, her smile. Mike snorted. He completely forgot to check out her ass. Although, he realized he didn't think of himself as that shallow, he _did_ appreciate the female bottom. Last thing he'd want would to be caught looking at a girl's ass. He tried not to make a habit of it.

It wasn't important anyway. What was important, what was going to get him through the next day, was hoping she'd be filling up again the next night. She said she would, but that could have just been being polite.

If she did come by, if he got to see her again... talk to her. He'd try not to sound like a total wasteoid. Damsel in distress? What that hell was _that_ about? At least he didn't have to explain what a damsel was. So she had half a brain. It would have really sucked if she'd turned out to be an airhead, he didn't think he could be interested in her no matter how pretty she was.

Mike sighed. He wasn't going to get to sleep thinking about her like this. And for sure he wasn't going to fall asleep thinking about kissing her, but he was thinking about that too.

"Mike. You don't even know her name. Now want to kiss her? Aaaarrrrgggh." Yes, he wanted to kiss her. Hold her hand. Hold _her_.

The next day Mike was glad that he didn't have to pay much attention to classes. Truth was, he didn't have to put much effort into school at all which was a good thing for today.

He was completely distracted thinking of her. She was so pretty his heart raced thinking about her. He was going to make a fool of himself when he talked to her. He just knew it. He had never been comfortable talking to girls. He was a generally shy person all around, but in front of girls he was useless. A few girls knew this and would take advantage of him by flirting and then laughing at him when he blushed.

He was aware of the heartpain he'd be subjected to if she already had a boyfriend, or girlfriend for that matter. Or worse yet, she wasn't interested in him at all. And let's face it, she was being polite, he wasn't going to mistake that for anything more than it was. She didn't know his name either and she hadn't asked for it. She was a very polite customer, refreshing for sure because he didn't get lot of those on the night shift, but still just a customer.

Mike could not wait for the day to end, the last few hundred yards to his house he discovered that his bike had a flat tire. He didn't have any way of fixing it today so he was going to have to walk to work.

Wouldn't be the first time he'd walked to work, but he could see that it was going to start raining soon, no way he wasn't going to get caught in that. Late October rain was cold in Hawkins. It would rain a lot before the next month or so when it would turn to snow so he'd be shoveling the driveway and walking to work anyway.

Half way through his trek to work, it rained. Mike pulled the hood up over his head and hunched his shoulders.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect, the downpour had caused puddles to take shape. He was walking by one of the bigger puddles when a car hit it. Muddy rain water splashed over most of body, completely soaking his pants.

He lifted his head, waved and shouted. "Thank you!"

He was thoroughly soaked by the time he got to the gas station. He cranked the heat up and sat in front of the blower of one of the heating vents. He dried quickly but his pants were a little crusty with dried mud.

Mike knew his hair was going to be even more of an unruly mop than it usually was. Like maybe somebody had used an eggbeater on it while he was sleeping.

It was busier than usual for a Friday night. Mike chalked it up to the weather getting a little cooler in Hawkins.

There were quite a few customers when the station was near closing but no sign of the girl yet. Ah well, Mike thought, she probably got off work late and figured she wouldn't be able to make it before he closed.

He was prepping for his close up routine when he heard, "This is a little embarrassing but can you help me?"

It was her. Her voice was the same wooden chimes in a breeze. Mike had a hard time keeping the grin off his face when he looked up to answer her.

Just the sight of her knocked the breath out of him. She was still wearing jeans, and a plaid shirt. He wondered where she worked that she could get away with wearing that.

She was breathing heavy as if she'd just done something strenuous. Her face was red as a beet. She looked away from him in the split second they made eye contact.

His voice cracking like he was still twelve years old, he said, "I think it's still behind the license plate if you want to check there."

She gave him a half smile, a quick nod and backed out of the store quickly.

Ok, that was odd, Mike thought. By now she was the only customer left at the station. This time he _did_ check out her bottom as she walked towards the back of her car. As luck would have it, she looked back to see him staring at it.

"Shit." He looked away quickly. Probably too late. Now he was just another guy ogling her ass. And given what he'd seen, he was sure he wasn't the first guy to do that.

Shit. Any chance he'd had of impressing her with his vast knowledge of how to run a gas station, or movies, or… anything, just flew out the window and got into a ship that had sailed away.

"Smooth move Wheeler." There was no point of asking her name now. Or asking her out for a coffee or something. No point at all. He was now reduced to the guy who was staring at her ass.

Mike gave himself a huge defeated sigh. This. Was. Not. Going. To. Happen.

After filling up she back back in to the station to pay. She handed him a credit card. It must have been a prepaid card if she was around Mike's age. She looked young enough to be.

Mike looked at her card before swiping it.

There it was, her name, and the last nail in the coffin.

She was El Hopper, the mysterious adopted daughter of Chief Hopper. More importantly, it was known to _every_ single guy in Hawkins that she was hands off. Both literally and figuratively.

Mike, he thought to himself, don't buy yourself any lottery tickets. Your luck sucks dead bunnies. Loud.

Mike hoped he was able to hide his disappointment, but he wanted to acknowledge that he knew who she was. He nodded towards the credit card machine and said, "Chief Hopper, I assume."

She nodded, looked down. She did not meet his eyes. Yup, that's it Mike thought. She is done with _The Guy Who Stared At Her Ass_.

He processed her card, gave her the credit card and cash register receipt.

"Thank you," she said politely and walked back out to her car.

She got in and rested her forehead against the steering wheel. It looked like her shoulders were hunched and shaking. After a minute or so she started the car and drove off.

XXXXX

That first night, El drove home, parked the car at her dad's trailer by the lake. She keyed the mike on the radio to let her dad know she'd gotten home. She got in the shower to wash the day's work off her. Made herself a midnight snack of eggos, her absolute favourite. Finally she dressed for bed and got in.

El Hopper did all that. But she remembered none of it. All she could think of was that grease monkey. Ok she had to stop thinking of him like that, He was an ordinary guy. Ok, not ordinary, his eyes were devastating. That stunning hair, his voice, his alluring smile. And his ass, El. Don't forget about that gorgeous ass. She realized she didn't think of herself as that shallow, but she _did_ appreciate a tight ass. Last thing she'd want would to be caught looking at was a guy's ass. They always got the wrong idea, so she tried not to make a habit of it.

It wasn't important anyway. What was important, what was going to get her through the next day, was waiting till it was time to fill up the car the next night.

She was going to see him again... to talk to him. She'd try not to sound ditzy. She didn't know where the gas tank was? She felt like an idiot. At least he wasn't condescending. She had a brain. She just didn't know where it was. It would have really sucked if he'd turned out to be a total wasteoid, she didn't think she could be interested in him no matter how cute he was.

El sighed. She wasn't going to get to sleep thinking about him like this. And for sure she wasn't going to fall asleep thinking about kissing him, but she was thinking about that too.

"El. You don't even know his name. Now want to kiss him? Aaaarrrrgggh." Yes, she wanted to kiss him. Hold his hand. Hold _him_.

Her dad had left her home schooled lessons, professionally developed now, for her to work on tomorrow. Then off to work again at the Hawkins animal shelter.

The next day she was completely distracted thinking of him. He was so cute her heart raced thinking about him. She was going to make a fool of himself when she talked to him. She just knew it. She had never been comfortable talking to guys. Not with this hair. She wasn't generally shy person, but in front of this guy she would be useless. I look like a boy. He's not going to be interested.

She was aware of the heartsqueeze she'd be subjected to if he already had a girlfriend, or boyfriend for that matter. Or worse yet, he wasn't interested in her at all. And let's face it, he was being polite, she wasn't going to mistake that for anything more than it was. He didn't know her name

Her lessons done for the day, it was time to head to the shelter. It had started raining hard, she ran to the car feeling the rain on her head like a delicate massage. On her way to the shelter, she saw too late, that she'd hit a puddle and just as someone with a hoodie was walking by it. The car tires splashed whoever it was. Not just splashed, when she looked in the rear view mirror she could see the person had been completely hosed down. The person raised his head, she didn't hear what he said, but they raised their hand.

I've just been given the one finger wave. Can't say I didn't deserve it. That was a dick move to do, but she was afraid to stop and apologize. She could handle herself of course, but she didn't like drama, and listening to an insulting barrage of curse words was not on her agenda for the day.

The afternoon shift was typical for the animal shelter and El was able to put the right amount of concentration into her work, but the rest was dedicated to thinking about what it would be like to kiss that guy.

She was a little late getting off work because of some last minute couples who wanted a rescue dog.

She didn't know if she was going to be able to get to the gas station on time, she wasn't worried, the car had been filled the previous night and her dad wasn't an ogre, he would understand. She wanted to see that guy. She didn't care that much about filling up.

She pulled in.

And then she saw him. Somehow his hair had gone from rock star to rock god. Her breath left her like she'd been punched in the stomach and she thought she might have peed a little. No, it wasn't that. It was the _other_.

She wanted to be funny and go in and ask him the same question as last night, but she could barely breathe. Her face felt like it was burning, she gave him the line, but was only able to stand his eyes for a split second when he looked at her.

His voice cracking like he was still twelve years old, he said, "I think it's still behind the license plate if you want to check there."

She really couldn't breathe she backed out as quickly as she could.

On her way to the car she took a quick glance back, he looked away as fast as he could but she knew he was staring at her bottom.

Ok, that _did_ it.

He looked embarrassed. She almost wanted to run back in, and tell him it was, ok she'd been staring at him last night so they were even.

El went back in to the station to pay, he was very polite when she gave him her credit card. His attitude had changed a bit. Ah, he knew she'd caught him looking at her. She would _not_ mention it.

He looked at her card and his polite smile had completely disappeared.

Mike looked at her card before swiping it.

And there it was.

He now knew she was El Hopper, the mysterious adopted daughter of Chief Hopper. More importantly, it was known to _every_ single guy in Hawkins that she was hands off. Both literally and figuratively.

What did you think El? Were you _never_ going to tell him your name?

She could see that he was unable to hide his disappointment. He nodded towards the credit card machine and said, "Chief Hopper, I assume."

She nodded, looked down. She did not meet his eyes. Yup, that's it El thought. Her short hair didn't seem to bother him, she was pretty sure she knew he liked what he saw when he was looking at her bottom. But the Hopper thing. That was an insurmountable obstacle.

He processed her card, have her the credit card and cash register receipt.

"Thank you," she said politely and walked back out to her car.

She couldn't get in the car fast enough, she could already feel the tears forming, hot and stinging in her eyes. She put her head against the steering wheel and sobbed.

Get over it El Hopper. Get over it right this damn minute. While he might have been interested in you five minutes ago, you are now The Untouchable El Hopper.

After a minute or so she started the car and drove off.


	3. Zero

Mike didn't see her the next night. Or the night after that. Or the night after that.

But that didn't stop him from thinking about her.

El Hopper.

It wasn't like he was doing something and thinking about her in the background. It was like he was thinking about her constantly, and _then _doing something else in the background.

She was probably getting her gas somewhere else. The station Mike worked at wasn't the only one in Hawkins, but it was the only one that stayed open this late. So if she was still filling up, where he worked she was doing it on someone else's shift.

Was she that offended when she caught him looking at her? Mike would apologize but how did you apologize for something like that?

"I'm sorry Miss Hopper, I was staring at your ass, and enjoying the view when you caught me. Please don't tell your dad." Mike snorted. Yeah, I'll say it just like that.

Even if she wasn't insulted he was _staring_ at her, and he doubted that very much, girls did not like that kind of behaviour from guys, so even if she got past that, he would be scared to death to be caught holding her hand. Word would get back to the Chief. He would be scared twice to death to be caught kissing her.

Zero chance of either happening. Two times zero was still zero.

Man, she did _not_ look happy when she'd left that night. She was polite and everything but she was a customer and what he'd done was inappropriate. You can't just apologize that away. If she complained he'd be fired. Maybe she already had and was just waiting for him to be fired and she would start filling up on the night shift again.

Didn't matter if he got fired. Sure, he'd never afford to buy a car the next summer, but he didn't really need one now did he? The girl he wanted to be his girlfriend, was El Hopper.

And that was so not going to happen.

Mike didn't bring any books or magazines with him for his shifts for the next week. He stared out the window waiting to see if she would pull in.

He was pretty sure he was wasting his time. She was probably done with him.

Shit! What if she'd told her dad? Ok, maybe not, because there was no way the Chief wouldn't have shown up at his house asking him what the hell Mike was doing staring at his daughter. He would have crawled up into a corner and died if that had happened.

It was a week later and raining again. Mike was staring out the window near closing time. He'd been staring out of the window his entire shift.

Her car pulled in. But she wasn't driving, she was sitting in the passenger seat. Chief Hopper got out. He filled up the car and came into pay.

Here it comes. Zero chance of surviving this encounter.

He came in and stood there looking at Mike.

"You work the night shift every night?"

"Yes sir." Mike croaked out.

"Can I ask you a serious question? Don't tell El I asked ok?"

"Um, sure sir."

"Ok, first, cut the _sir_ bullshit, Hopper or Chief to you. Got it?"

"Uh, Yes, s- uh, Chief."

"El has it in her head that every guy in Hawkins is scared to even look at her. Because of me. Is that true?"

"Um, it's kind of an unwritten rule. Nobody wants to be killed by you."

Hopper snorted, "I'll never understand why ideas like that get stuck in the heads of you kids. Am I that much of a bastard?"

"I wouldn't know sir, um Chief, it's what I heard, I didn't start the rumour I just follow it to the letter."

"Do you want to know how many boyfriends she's had since she relocated back here?"

I'd rather not know, Mike thought to himself. He didn't get a chance to vocalize anything before Hopper continued.

"Zero."

"Don't tell her I told you this, but do you want to know what she did for the last five or six nights? She cried herself to sleep. That's not good for a parent to hear. I asked her why and she wouldn't tell me at first. I figured it out when she asked me to drop her off to work and pick her up. And to fill up the car. I told her she has to pay, but now I know why she's crying."

"You do?"

"Seriously? You're asking me that? You don't know?"

"No sir- Chief."

"Jesus, sometime times you kids are thick."

Mike shrugged. He didn't know what Hopper was getting at.

"Let's put it this way. I have no objections to you asking her out. She could really use a friend. As long as you aren't an asshole. Are you an asshole?"

Mike swallowed, "um, no I'm not sir."

"Good answer, I'm going to send her in to pay."

Hopper turned and left.

He heard some loud voices in the car. It was shaking a bit, but finally she got out and stomped towards the gas station door.

She had a look that would have crumbled concrete on the spot. Her voice had a hard edge to it.

Mike looked at her and accepted the twenty dollar bill she handed over. He was not going to be able to ask her out let alone for a coffee. Her attitude clearly suggested otherwise for _that_ particular course of action.

"Here's your change," Mike counted it out. He kept his eyes averted.

"What?!" She was waiting for an answer.

When you hear that voice from a girl. You don't question it. You don't disagree with whatever she says. You don't _agree_ with whatever she says. You don't ignore her. And most of all you don't talk her.

Yes. You are truly screwed when a girl has that voice. There is no fixing it, there is no appeasing her. It just is.

And if it's the girl you think you might be in love with. Ah, well Mister, Hawkins has a quarry, a quick step off the edge will be much less painful.

"Sorry," Mike said.

"Sorry for what exactly?"

Miked turned a deep red, "Ok. You're going to make me say it." He sighed. He was sad and extremely embarrassed at the same time. He was going to get to apologize, and then when he did… zero chance with El Hopper became a 100% probability.

"I'm sorry for staring at your ass. It was completely inappropriate and if you want me fired, you can complain to my boss."

She smirked. "Let me get this straight, you are apologizing for staring at my ass." She was angry.

"Yeah, I said I was sorry, and I'll lose this fabulous well paying job over it when you complain. You don't have to rub my nose in it."

Suddenly her face softened, and she bit her bottom lip. "You are the only guy who's even looked at me in the last three or four years. I would never make you lose your job. You wouldn't be able to buy me a coffee if I did that."

"You want me to buy you a coffee?" Mike was flabbergasted.

"Yes, I… Oh wait. Shit. I'm sorry, I'll bet your girlfriend would not be impressed with me right now.. Shit. Shit. I don't even know your name. Shit."

Mike had gone from a deep red to almost purple after he confessed his next words, "um, I, uh, Um, I don't have a girlfriend. Or a car."

She looked at him and said. "Well, you take care of the coffee, I'll take care of the ride. Deal?"

"Deal." Mike said.

What had just happened?

She now had a very shy demeanor again, like the first night they'd met, "I'd kind of like to know the name of they guy who's buying me coffee." She looked down.

"Mike Wheeler."

El came forward and held out her hand, "Hello Mike Wheeler. I'm El Hopper and I don't have have a boyfriend. But I'm sure my dad would beat you up if I asked."

XXXXX

He saw her credit card. So now he knew who she was. That was bad enough, but she didn't even know the name of the guy who would never talk to her again.

She definitely couldn't go back there to get gas. She felt sick just thinking about it. She never had a guy look at her the way that guy did. He looked _interested_.

El snorted. He went from an interest level of eleven to zero. How fitting. Her amusement only lasted minutes until she started crying.

She cried that night. And the next night. And the next.

On the fourth night her dad asked what was wrong. At first she shook her head refusing to tell him. But then she did she told him she'd never have a boyfriend as long as people who knew she was.

"Aren't you interested in any guy in town?"

"Daaad, it's not about me it's them. They don't see me as a viable option. A girl I don't know told me this. She doesn't even like me and she felt sorry for me. One guy looked like he might have been interested in me, but as soon as he found out who I was, he switched off."

Her dad was silent for a minute.

She asked him to drop her off at work and pick her up when she was done.

He agreed but told her she still had to pay for gas. El was ok with that. She couldn't afford to buy a car of her own, but she could pay for gas if she got to use one.

On the Friday, a full week after he'd found out her name, she was at the gas station again. Her dad filled up and to her immense relief he went in to pay.

Her dad seemed to be taking a lot longer to pay, and she stole glance. She could see the guy looking very humbled. Her dad must be giving him the third degree. "Oh for fu-". Her dad was walking towards the car.

He got in and looked at her. "You go in and pay."

"What? I thought you went in to do that?"

"El, we talked about this. You get to drive the car as long as you pay for the gas. I told him I wouldn't kill him in his sleep if he asked you out."

"You _what_!?" El was furious. Enough to make the car shake.

The guy had looked terrified. He wasn't going to ask her out. Her dad, while trying to help had just made everything worse.

She stomped her way to the door, and paid him. He didn't look at her.

"What?!"

She knew her voice sounded menacing. She also knew that he recognized the tone of voice and he was totally screwed. He had nothing he could say or do. She felt a little sorry for him. It wasn't his fault. Her dad had meddled in her love life.

Such as it was. And yes, she thought she might be in love with this guy whose name she didn't even know. The only thing she knew for sure is that he probably wanted to see her without her pants on. Hardly a solid foundation for a relationship.

A relationship. Is that what she wanted with this guy?

Yes, she decided. More than anything.

"Sorry," Mike said.

"Sorry for what exactly?" She was still a little peeved.

The guy turned a deep red, "Ok. You're going to make me say it." He sighed. He looked sad and extremely embarrassed at the same time.

"I'm sorry for staring at your ass. It was completely inappropriate and if you want me fired, you can complain to my boss."

She didn't mean to but her smile came out as a smirk and completely changed what she had intended for it to sound like. "Let me get this straight, you are apologizing for staring at my ass." She was still angry at her dad. But now she realized that this guy thought she was angry at him.

Oh, no! She wasn't. She wasn't mad at him at all!

"Yeah, I said I was sorry, and I'll lose this fabulous well paying job over it when you complain. You don't have to rub my nose in it."

El felt like shit. She bit her bottom lip. How could she make this right? Save it so it didn't completely spin the drain. "You are the only guy who's even looked at me in the last three or four years. I would never make you lose your job. You wouldn't be able to buy me a coffee if I did that."

"You want me to buy you a coffee?" The guy looked surprised as hell.

"Yes, I… Oh wait. Shit. I'm sorry, I'll bet your girlfriend would not be impressed with me right now.. Shit. Shit. I don't even know your name. Shit."

How could she be so stupid? Of _course_ he had a girlfriend. Guys don't look like that without half a dozen girls interested at any one time. Maybe he was just a player, and went through girls every second day.

But then he said something that gave her hope. He looked almost a sickly purple, "um, I, uh, Um, I don't have a girlfriend. Or a car."

She looked at him and said. "Well, if you take care of the coffee, I'll take care of the ride. Deal?"

"Deal." He said.

She suddenly felt shy again, like the first time they'd met last week. "I'd kind of like to know the name of they guy who's buying me coffee." She looked down.

"Mike Wheeler."

Mike. She breathed his name in.

El came forward and held out her hand, she formally introduced herself.

She didn't tell Mike was that she still kind of wanted to have his babies.

She smiled to herself. Maybe that was too soon in their relationship.

Too soon for Mike maybe. El was ready.


	4. Eggos

El told him she wanted to go home and freshen up while he closed up and did his paperwork. He was nervous. This was actually going to be a date. Ok, Mike wasn't as nervous so much as he was terrified. He'd never been on a date with a girl.

He could probably guess that El had never been on a date either. He didn't like the fact that she was going to have to drive him around. The circumstances being what they were, he was going to have to be ok with that.

He set all the alarms and closed up. It was starting to rain again so he stood under the gas pump canopy. It was getting windy so he wasn't staying as dry as he would have liked.

It seemed like he'd been standing a long time. She hadn't shown up. Hmmm, maybe she'd gotten cold feet or first date jitters. Or maybe she'd just decided that Mike looking at her like that was a big red flag and decided not to risk it.

Mike wouldn't blame her. He snorted, lewd ogling a girl was never going to be as charming as it sounded. No matter what the gorillas out there thought.

Ah well, he must have been standing for close to an hour.

She wasn't going to show.

He didn't think she was still mad at him. Something important probably came up. Mike shrugged. He was disappointed for sure but it wasn't a total loss. She'd probably take a raincheck on the coffee.

He was bundling up ready for the walk home in the rain, when a car pulled up.

It was El. he could through the rain and the car window that she'd been crying. He ran around to the other side and got in quickly. He was glad to be out of the wind and the rain.

"I'm so sorry Mike."

"It's ok El. It's not like we set a… oh wow."

"What's wrong?" She looked at him wide eyed.

El had a simple blue dress on, maybe touch of makeup? And some lip gloss. Her eyes made him speechless… almost. "Um, uh, you're really pretty, El."

She looked down and ran her hand over her short hair. He could see her blush in the dark of the car. Her shy attitude warmed Mike's heart.

"Thank you Mike. I'm sorry I'm so late. I was... scared."

"Scared?"

"This is my first date… it _is_ a date isn't it?"

"It's a date El, we're going out for coffee."

"I don't think there's anything open at this hour. Hawkins kind of rolls up the sidewalks at night."

"I think I know a place where we can get coffee, and maybe a little desert."

Mike had her drive to Benny's. The place was dark.

"Drive around back." Mike said.

Mike could see a light on in the back room. They got out of the car and he took El's hand, "we have to run if we don't want to get soaked."

They made the short run to the back door. Mike knocked. Benny opened the door almost immediately. "You're late, I didn't think you were going to make it."

El looked back and forth from Benny to Mike. Benny led them to a darkened diner, and sat them at a booth, there were two candles burning on the table.

"Let me guess, two coffees and the midnight special for you and your girlfriend."

Both Mike and El blushed. "She's not my girlfriend Benny, we're just having coffee." Benny nodded and walked away to get their order.

Mike could see El's smile faltered a bit. "Sorry I didn't want Benny to presume anything, not on our first date."

"What's the midnight special?" El asked. It was clear to Mike she tried to hide her disappointment. He smiled to himself. Yes!

"Kitchen is closed down, so when I show up, Benny tells me the only thing I can get is coffee and Eggos. If you don't like Eggos I can eat yours. I don't want to waste them.

"I _love_ eggos." Her smile was back.

"With more syrup than can possibly be good for you?"

"Of course."

Benny brought the coffee first. It turned out that both Mike and El liked their coffee strong and black.

"So, we're we off to a shaky start or was it just me?" El asked.

Mike gave her a small laugh, "I thought it was just me. Yeah, a little bit of a shaky start."

A few minutes later Benny brought out Eggos and syrup. "Mike you can close up? You two stay as long as you want. Mike can make more coffee if you like."

"Benny is really nice to you. And he trusts you."

"He's a great guy. I recommend his place whenever I can. Great food here. You know it's greasy spoon stuff, but it tastes great."

After they ate their Eggos, Mike poured them both another cup of coffee."

"Where do you work that they allow you to wear jeans and a plaid shirt."

"Hawkins Animal Rescue."

"Ah, that makes sense. You'd never get away with wearing dresses like that."

El blushed.

"Any reason you wanted to work in an animal shelter?"

El's face turned dark. "Yes." She said simply. And she didn't elaborate.

Ok, that's a touchy subject, Mike thought. Note to self, don't touch it again. She was probably offended that he took her to a place called 'Benny's Burgers' if she was a vegetarian.

Mike could see her working through something, the various stages her face made as she if she was thinking of what else to say.

Put your foot into that one Mike. How do you recover from that?

She looked at him with those eyes that had taken on such a sad look his heart almost exploded. "I might be able to explain later, ok?"

Mike nodded in agreement. He would not push this. She had a secret. That was plain to see. He felt a little uncomfortable now. He didn't know what to say next.

"Mike, it's ok. It's… complicated. But it's ok." She tried to make light of it. "I don't want to scare you away."

Mike's heart was definitely swelling. "Only you're dad can scare me away, and…" Mike stopped talking.

"What about my dad? Mike."

"He said he probably wouldn't kill me, if we went out… you know for coffee or something."

"He's very protective Mike. I… It's complicated."

"Yeah, you said."

"Can we leave it be for now?"

"Yeah, El. Sorry… Do you want to know how much of a nerd I am?"

"Yes I do."

To keep the conversation on himself and not on El, Mike talked about himself all night. He stared into her eyes while talking until morning. They lost track of the number of cups of coffee they drank.

When Mike could see the sun come up. He froze.

"What's wrong Mike?"

"You're dad is going to think you spent the night with me." He blushed.

"I did." Then El blushed also.

The back door was being unlocked. Benny and Chief Jim Hopper walked in.

"Told you Hop, they're still here. Looking as guilty as hell but their clothes are still on"

"We good?" Hopper looked back and forth between his daughter and Mike.

"It took Mike seven hours to explain how much a nerd he is, but I get it now." El said and beamed a smile at Mike, then her dad.

"He's a big nerd and so are all of his friends."

Her dad just shook his head and rolled his eyes. "I'll see you at home later."

He nodded to Benny and left.

"I'll drive you home Mike and… I'll see you tonight?" Her voice had so much hope in in that Mike's heart felt like it would lift him to the ceiling.

"Yeah, El, that would be nice." El looked really happy when he said that, he felt a little lightheaded.

He tried to stand and immediately sat back down as his knees failed him.

XXXXX

El did not want to go home, but she needed a shower, she felt gross. She was going to attempt to look pretty for Mike. She wasn't working with a whole lot so she knew she had her work cut out for her.

She was going on a date with Mike! It would be her first date. Sure it was only coffee, but it would just be the two of them. They at least had a physical attraction to each other, she was hoping there was going to be some sort of intellectual attraction also. He _was_ working at a gas station after all. A gas station was not Radio Shack.

What was she going to do if maybe he wasn't… she hated to think it, but if he wasn't _intellectually inclined_?

Was she going to be that much of a snob? She knew guys seemed to be ok with airheads as long as they got what they wanted. She didn't think Mike was like that, but she didn't know him at all.

El, what are you getting yourself into? She didn't know if he smoked. That was a complete turn off. She didn't know anything about him.

To be fair, he didn't know anything about her either. As far as he knew she only owned jeans and plaid shirts. She had a few pretty dresses. She'd put one on after her shower and head back over to the gas station.

Only it wasn't that simple. One of her dresses was way too revealing. El wasn't busty by any means, but she wasn't going to show Mike _that_ much of her.

She couldn't do anything with her hair of course. Maybe she could put on some makeup?

She was drowned in self doubt. Let's face it El, you aren't pretty enough for a guy who looks like Mike Wheeler. He could snap his fingers and have any girl he wanted in Hawkins. Including some women. That's what she was competing against. She started to cry. Not even there and I've already screwed it up.

She finally found a blue dress she liked but didn't wear often. She'd spent so much time second guessing herself that she was shocked when she saw the time.

She ran to the car and headed towards the gas station. There was no way he would have waited this long for her.

Damn it all. Why did she have to be so wishy washy with her clothes? It wasn't like her at all. She'd never been this way before.

She'd never been going on a date with Mike Wheeler either. Coffee or not. She was just about to turn into the gas station and she didn't see him.

Wait. There he was, she breathed a sigh of relief. He was looking like he was ready to start walking home. In the rain.

He got into the passenger side. He was shivering. He must have been standing out there for an hour. But he had waited for her!

"I'm so sorry Mike."

"It's ok El. It's not like we set a… oh wow."

"What's wrong?" She looked at him wide eyed.

El thought she would break down and cry right there when he said, "Um, uh, you're really pretty, El."

Mike thought she was pretty? He just _said_ it El! She felt self-conscious again and ran her hand over her head, and age old nervous gesture.

Mike reassured her that they were going on an actual date. She was sure there wouldn't be any place open at this hour.

"I think I know a place where we can get coffee, and maybe a little desert."

Mike had her drive to Benny's. The place was dark. "Drive around back." Mike said.

They got out of the car and he took El's hand, his hands were soft and gentle, "we have to run so we don't get soaked."

She may never wash her hand again.

The next thing she knew she was being seated in a booth in the diner, there were candles burning. Had Mike arranged all this for… their date?

"Let me guess, two coffees and the midnight special for you and your girlfriend."

No I'm not Mike's girlfriend El thought. But that's only because he hasn't asked me. It didn't sound like he was going to.

Mike had ordered Eggos for her. How could he know she loved them?

"So, we're we off to a shaky start or was it just me?" El asked.

Mike gave her a small laugh, "I thought it was just me. Yeah, a little bit of a shaky start."

Benny asked Mike to close up. Obviously he found Mike trustworthy. That was good to know.

Mike asked her about where she worked, and if there was a reason she wanted to work at the shelter. She could only think of the cat, but she didn't offer any more information.

To his credit Mike left it alone and she was grateful. He looked a little worried that he'd overstepped so she tried to reassure him. And now he didn't know what to say.

The had a few more awkward moments. Damn it. She hated her secret. She was probably never going to tell Mike. She hadn't even told her best friend.

Their relationship would have be be a lot stronger before he would get to know. She wasn't going to tell the first guy who asked her on a date.

Mike managed to steer the conversation to something a lot less complicated.

He apologized and then asked, "do you want to know how much of a nerd I am?"

She did, but she was not prepared for how much of a nerd he was. A total pencil neck geek nerd. She loved it. She stared into his eyes all night while he talked.

She could have listened to him all night. Mike told El his life story. She felt sorry for the bullying that he and his friends had to put up with. He talked about them with nothing but pride and affection. He had good friends. El could admit it to herself now. She wanted to be one of them.

El realized she _had_ listened to Mike talk all night. She could see that Mike was scared to death when he noticed the sun had come up

"What's wrong Mike?"

"You're dad is going to think you spent the night with me." He blushed.

"I did." Then El blushed also. He was protecting her virtue and her reputation. What guy does that in the eighties?

The back door was being unlocked. Benny and her dad walked in.

"Told you Hop, they're still here. Looking as guilty as hell but their clothes are still on"

"We good?" Hopper looked back and forth between his daughter and Mike.

"It took Mike seven hours to explain how much a nerd he is, but I get it now." El said and beamed a smile at Mike, then her dad.

"He's a big nerd and so are his friends."

Her dad just rolled her eyes told her he'd see her at home and then he left.

She told Mike she'd drive him home, and then in a bold move that had her heart triple hammering in her chest, she said "and… I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah, that would be nice." The smile he gave her made her heart stop. The feeling of euphoria knowing she would see Mike later tonight made her a bit woozy..

She watched Mike stand up and then sit back down as if his knees gave out

She didn't dare try to stand up right away either.


	5. Yes or No (Part I: Mike)

He tried to stand and immediately sat back down as his knees failed him..

"Are you going to try to get some sleep before your shift tonight?" She asked him.

"Not sure I can after drinking that much coffee. But I should try." It wasn't the coffee that was keeping Mike awake. He was still jazzed that he'd been talking to El all night long. She had listened. There had been no signs of her dropping off because she was bored.

He realized that she knew pretty much everything about him, and he knew practically nothing about her. That was going to be a touchy subject. He wouldn't bring it up again. If he was meant to know she would tell him in her own time.

Assuming they even had another date. Her visiting him at the gas station where he worked hardly qualified as a date.

He was able to get a few hours sleep in after his shower. He still hadn't fixed his bike yet so he would be walking to work again. If he was lucky it would rain again. If he _really_ was lucky he'd get splashed by a car again.

Mike didn't care though, he was thinking about El. That would keep warm and dry. Or at least make him completely oblivious to the rain.

It was a warmer rain that usual, and Mike wasn't hunched over. He had his face turned up to the rain, enjoying it. He was pretty sure he was in love. It was probably too soon to ask her out. Only one date. He had no idea what the relationship rules were these days. He was out of the game. Mike snorted. He'd never been _in_ the game to start with.

He was coming up on the same puddle that had he had been splashed with before. And he could hear a car behind him. Looked like it might even be the same car that drove through the puddle last time. The rain had been heavier that day so he couldn't quite tell.

The car slowed down and actually swerved to avoid the puddle. Mike saw the brake lights come on and the car came to a stop.

As he walked up even to the car he leaned over to look into the window only to see it slide down and the most prettiest girl in the world said, "Hey stranger."

"El?"

"Let me drive you the rest of the way."

Mike got into the passenger side, and looked over at El, she looked a little worried with a half smile on her face.

"I have a confession to make."

"You're not a nun are you? Because that would be really awkward. Would also mean no ogliing your ass anymore."

El burst out laughing, "No you can continue to do that, I ogle yours." Realizing what she'd just said she turned a deep shade of red.

"I was the one who splashed you the other day. I'm really sorry"

"It's ok El."

"Not really Mike, even if it wasn't you, it's a miserable thing to do. I'll make it up to you, I can pick you up at your house on my way to work. This is a a bit of a short cut for me anyway."

"You don't have to but that would be great."

El dropped Mike off at the gas station. "We still on for tonight?" She asked.

"You bet." Mike got out and she drove off. On for what? Mike thought. They hadn't actually planned anything.

"We'll figure it out together." Mike said to himself and went inside to start his shift, a huge smile plastered on his face.

Mike was in a daydream most of his shift. He was thinking of El of course, he knew he'd be doing that all day. Today was going to be special, he was going to ask her out...

He had every indication that she liked him, and he must have given enough signals for her to know he liked her.

Still, that nagging doubt. She _could_ just be flirting with him. That's what flirting was after all. She might like him but just as a friend.

A friend. Deadliest words known to man. Or woman even. Unrequited love was the worst thing he could think of.

He couldn't just be friends with her. It would be way too awkward.

He was a few hours into his shift when Lucas and Max showed up. "You're boss in?" Lucas asked.

Mike thumbed at the garage part of the gas station, "back there probably."

"We have a proposal for him." Max said. "What are you doing tonight when you get off."

Mike must have gotten a wistful look on him. Lucas turned to Max and said, "I know that look, Mike Wheeler is in love."

Mike didn't correct him.

"You want to hang out with us tonight?"

"Not sure I can guys."

"C'mon," Max says, I have a friend I think you'd be interested in. "I told El a few weeks back that I was going to match her up with a nerd. We'll double date." Max grinned and went off to the garage leaving Lucas with Mike.

"Did she say El?"

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Maybe..." Lucas said.

A few minutes later Max came back. "Good news, bad news." She looked at Lucas.

"Do tell." Lucas smiled at his girlfriend.

"Good news, Mike's boss went for it. Bad news, I used the phone in his office back there to call El, she was not the least bit interested in double dating with Mike. You're out of luck Wheeler, looks like El isn't going to be your girlfriend. I tried." Max smirked and grabbed Lucas's hand. "We're outta here."

Take a large concrete wrecking ball. Pull it back as far as it will go. And then release it into Mike Wheeler's stomach. That would be the effect of Max's words had on him.

Oh.

Mike was numb. If the pit of his stomach hadn't been in such pain Mike would have thrown up on the spot.

He hadn't even gotten to ask her. It would have been bad enough to get a 'no' from El while face to face with her, but it seemed even worse to get the answer by proxy.

Max had just laid waste to Mike's hopes. His whole life had been destroyed.

Obviously El did not consider him to be boyfriend material. Why should she? He worked at a gas station. And also obviously, she had just been flirting with him. Maybe she was a player? She seemed a lot more down to earth than that. It took a special type of person to work at an animal shelter, so Mike didn't get it. He didn't get it at all.

And what was that about not wanting to scare him away? She'd said that less than twelve hours ago.

Mike was depressed. He was going to have to get over this. He couldn't wallow in self pity for weeks because he lost a chance of getting a girlfriend. A girl like El.

El would not have just been a girlfriend though. She would have been his friend, his confidant. Someone to just be with while sitting on a park bench. Or holding hands while walking in the rain.

Someone who maybe loved him as much as he loved her.

Danger Mike Wheeler, trash those thoughts. It's done. Finito. End of the scroll.

He could feel himself spiraling into a deep depression. He was going to have a bad couple of days. He was going to have to get over it, one way or another.

Mike was as down as he had ever felt. He saw her car pull in to fill up. She was more than an hour early.

"Oh great. Shit. This is gonna be bad." Try not to cry Mike. No matter how much you feel like it.

She was at the back of the car, pulling down the license plate, she looked over at him through the station window and gave him the thumbs up.

She filled up, and pulled away to let another car get at the pumps. She parked over to the side and came in to pay.

She greeted him with that smile, and those killer eyes. She was wearing a big Irish Fisherman's sweater.

"We meet again," She said cheerfully. When she saw the look on Mike's face, her smile completely disappeared.

"What's wrong Mike? You look like you just lost your best friend."

Mike thought he was going to lose his battle against crying, instead he got a little mad, but he wasn't going to shout. Or get nasty, it wasn't in his nature to do that.

"Not a best friend. Just someone I was getting to know. Didn't work out. I'm moving on."

El looked puzzled, "Oh ok, I'm sorry... I know we didn't plan anything but are we still on for something tonight?"

Mike just looked at her.

"Seriously?"

El looked down, "I was kinda serious, but if you don't want to…," she trailed off.

"I'll repeat El. Seriously?"

"Mike, I don't understand what's going on." She looked worried and frustrated.

"El, it's probably better if you just leave. I'll get over it."

"Fine." El said in a small lost voice, and left the station. She got about halfway to her car, and then she stopped, turned around her head forward. That menacing look in her eyes.

She walked to the front of the counter with her hands on her hips.

"You know what Mike? Not. Fine. I really thought we had something. I was looking forward to whatever we did tonight. I didn't even care what it was, I just wanted to be with you. I come here and I get _this_?" She gestured towards him.

"What do you want me to say, El? Max told me you weren't the _least bit interested_ in double dating with me," Mike air quoted. "So I assumed that whatever we had was over and done with. Period."

"You know my friend Max?" El was thinking. " ...Oh… ...wait... I get it._ You're_ the nerd she was trying to set me up with. I'll have you know Michael Wheeler, the reason I refused, was because I was going out with a different nerd tonight. You. Max never gave me any names. Of _course _I would have said yes. Well no, I guess not, I'd rather spend our time together alone."

Mike was processing all this information. His voice was shaky. "Um, I feel a special kind of stupid right now." He wiped his eyes.

"It was a misunderstanding, if you know Max, she's not really big on details."

Mike nodded. "Sorry, El, total wasteoid on my part… uh I need to close up. Um I'm not supposed to have a customer in here while I do the paperwork, because of the money, but, uh, I don't want you sitting out there in the car in the dark by yourself. You can stay in the back room with me while I finish up?"

"You want take me into the back room?" El said, a mischievous smile on her face. "Ok."

Mike did all the outside closing things he needed to do, locked the gas station door and led El to the back room.

"Sometimes we use this room to change clothes, even though there is a bathroom out back. But it's where the safe is and our little desk for doing the paperwork."

El looked around, "there's not enough room back here to change your mind, let alone your clothes."

Mike was used to the tiny office, but to someone standing in it for the first time it must seem really cramped.

Mike had her sit the edge of the desk at the end while he went through his nightly routine. His fingers flew over the adding machine has he added up columns of numbers.

"Ok, I'm done. Just let me squeeze by you here, to get to the safe."

They both stood up, and tried to squeeze by El. Their bodies touching from their shins to their waist. He had never been this close to her, to any girl for that matter. His face was inches from hers. He could see his reflection in her clear golden brown eyes.

Mike was mesmerized. Her full lips were slightly parted so close it would only take a slight forward motion from his head and he could kiss her.

He compromised. He'd ask first.

"Um, El? Yes or no?"

She looked into his eyes. He could see a teardrop forming in each eye.

"Only if you mean it, Mike." Her eyes closed, her face slightly upturned.

He meant it. He leaned forward. He softly kissed the girl he loved. The girl who didn't even know it yet. He lingered for a few seconds… then a bit longer. She kissed him back.

"Mmmmm. That was nice Mike."

Mike's voice broke, "you are my first kiss, El."

"Mine too." The two tears, now fully formed, trickled out of their prison.

"It won't be the last El. I promise."

"I will hold you to that promise, Mike."

"A promise is something you can't break. Ever." Mike said.

El nodded, still inches from his face.

"Um, El. I'm not going to kiss you anymore as a… customer." He grinned, but then got serious again. "Will you go out with me?"

She was about to run her hand over her head when Mike gently held her wrist. "You don't ever need to do that again. El."

Mike could tell she was self-conscious about her hair. She didn't know how pretty she was.

She looked up into his eyes dual tears forming again and nodded.

Mike let out a long breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

Mike put his hands on El's waist and kissed his girlfriend.


	6. Yes or No (Part II: El)

She watched Mike stand up and then sit back down as if his knees gave out.

She didn't dare try to stand up right away either.

She asked him if he was going to try and get some sleep, but he said he didn't think he could after all the coffee he'd had to drink.

El was thrilled to have listened to Mike talk all night long. She had been fascinated by everything he told her. She was thrilled just to be in his presence. Every now and then her eyes would wander to his long corkscrew hair, or to his freckles, and when he got up to pour more coffee, they wandered to his ass.

At one point she had the cold realization that she knew everything that made up the beautiful person who was Mike Wheeler. And the only thing he knew about her was that her past was mysterious and possibly of a darker nature. He never once brought her her past.

She wasn't ready to tell him about it. How could anybody be prepared for that? If their relationship grew beyond coffee, then maybe. But it would have to be a _solid_ beyond. Certainly not on the next date.

Assuming they even had another date. Her visiting him at the gas station where he worked hardly counted as a date.

When El got home she threw herself on the bed and daydreamed about kissing Mike Wheeler. She thought she might have a quick nap, but her brain was to busy.

She slipped out of her dress, had a shower and changed into her work clothes, those being jeans and plaid shirt. Her boss told her to only wear clothes she was ok with losing because of getting dirty or ripped.

While she drove, she thought about Mike again. She was pretty sure she was in love with him. Listening to him through the night had made her very aware of that fact. But she could tell that Mike was a little on the shy side. He would take his time before he screwed up the courage to ask her out. She was ok with the taking the initiative when it came to kissing. She wasn't going to wait forever before they kissed. If she took the lead, Mike would know she liked him enough that they could progress to the kissing stage.

If they ended up parking tonight, would they fool around? El didn't know what the generally accepted limitations were when it came to being more intimate on a second date. Would she let Mike feel her up? Oh god, yes! Would she sleep with him or go all the way in the back seat of the car? Probably not.

Mike was a gentlemen though. El knew this for a fact, his demeanor they way he talked to her. No, she would be the aggressor here, she knew that. Mike would never make the first move.

She was taking her usual shortcut when she noticed a lone figure walking in the rain. It looked like the same person she'd splashed before, yep, there was the puddle too. This time the person didn't have the hood up. All she could see was the shaggy mop of hair- it was Mike!

El slowed the car slowed down and swerved to avoid the puddle. She brought the car to a stop and rolled down the window as he walked up even to the car he leaned over to look into the window., "Hey stranger."

"El?"

"Let me drive you the rest of the way." She said.

Mike got into the passenger side. She might as well tell him it was her.

"I have a confession to make."

"You're not a nun are you? Because that would be really awkward. Would also mean no ogling your ass anymore."

El burst out laughing, "No you can continue to do that, I ogle yours." She felt her face burning.

"I was the one who splashed you the other day. I'm really sorry"

"It's ok El."

"Not really Mike, even if it wasn't you, it's a miserable thing to do. I'll make it up to you, I can pick you up at your house on my way to work. This is a a bit of a short cut for me anyway."

"You don't have to but that would be great."

El dropped Mike off at the gas station. "We still on for tonight?" She asked.

"You bet." Mike got out and she put the car in gear drove off.

On for what? She thought. They hadn't actually planned anything.

"We'll figure it out together." El said to herself. She would figure it out with Mike. El figured she had a big sheepish smile on her face.

El was in a daydream most of her day. She was thinking of Mike of course, she figured she'd be doing that all day. She started to hope that he would ask her out today. It felt right.

She had every indication that he liked her, and she must have given off enough signals for him to know she liked him..

Still, the doubt in the back of her mind. He _could_ just be flirting with her. That's what flirting was after all. He might like her but just as a friend. She clung on to the fact that guys tended to fall in love with any girl if she showed enough interest. It was the sad reality for girls, and why they were always super careful not to show too much interest. The guy was always disappointed when he found out that a girl didn't like him that way.

El thought she'd gone a little overboard showing interest. She didn't want Mike to misread her signals. She had just told him that she'd been staring at his ass! If that wasn't enough of a signal she didn't know what was.

Either way she was interested in being _way_ more than friends with Mike. She was now starting to rethink giving herself to him tonight. She didn't know if she was ready.

While going through the animal intake forms at the shelter she got a phone call from Max. She'd just recently become friends with her. They'd hit if off right away. Max was a little rough around the edges, but El could tell her boyfriend Lucas was a calming influence.

Max said she knew some nerd who was perfect for her and did she want to double date with her and Lucas.

And miss being with Mike tonight? No way in hell, she thought. "Not the least bit interested in your nerd Max."

"Ok, hmmm, that's too bad I'll tell him... your loss, El." Max hung up.

El was sure Max had no idea what kind of guys she was interested in. Nerds, ok that wouldn't have been her first choice... But Mike The Nerd. Oh yes. She would introduce Mike to Max when she got the chance, and Max would see why El turned her down.

Mike had said she was pretty, even with this hair she was stuck with. El had blushed which was good, because it helped keep the tears at bay. So maybe he considered her girlfriend material. Mike was definitely boyfriend material. He was _husband_ material.

Don't count your chickens El, he hasn't even kissed you yet.

Her fears that Mike wasn't going to be intellectually stimulating for her were put to rest, he had explained that he was trying to buy a car.

He'd gotten really shy suddenly when he explained that he wanted a car so he could drive his girlfriend to the movies. His sole motivation was to treat his girlfriend nice. El had a hard time holding back tears when he'd said that.

He said he could have easily gotten a job at Radio Shack, but it didn't pay as much as the gas station, so he went with the quickest route to be able to afford a car.

El was ok with driving him around. It was a role reversal for sure, and she knew Mike was feeling a little odd about it.

If he mentioned anything El would reassure him. She wanted to be Mike's girlfriend. She would sacrifice a lot to do that. Be his confidant, just be with him sitting on a park bench, Or holding hands when then were walking in the rain.

And to love him. Maybe he'd love her just as much.

That was dangerous thinking. She had the sick feeling that maybe she was more into this relationship than he was.

I have to go see him now.

She changed to her Fisherman's sweater and got off work an hour early.

She pulled into the gas station, went to the the back of the car, pulling down the license plate, she looked over at Mike through the station window and gave him the thumbs up. She wanted to let him know in a funny way that she knew where the gas tank was.

She filled up, and pulled away to let another car get at the pumps. She parked over to the side and went in to pay.

She gave Mike what she wanted to be her "I love you" smile.

"We meet again" She said cheerfully. When she saw the look on Mike's face, her smile completely disappeared. Oh shit. Mike looked bad.

"What's wrong Mike? You look like you just lost your best friend." She tried to keep her voice light.

Mike looked like he was about to lose his battle with trying to not cry. This must be bad El thought. Mike's voice took a bit of a hard edge.

"Not a best friend. Just someone I was getting to know. Didn't work out. I'm moving on."

El was puzzled, "Oh ok, I'm sorry... I know we didn't plan anything but are still on for something tonight?"

Mike just looked at her and said, "Seriously?"

El looked down, "I was kinda serious, but if you don't want to…," she trailed off. This wasn't good. This was not the Mike who talked to her all night.

"I'll repeat El. Seriously?"

El was confused, felt a little bit of panic she wasn't able to hide that from her voice. "Mike, I don't understand what's going on?"

"El, it's probably better if you just leave. I'll get over it."

What?! Mike was pissed at her. His voice had such and edge of finality to it that she didn't think she could keep from crying on the spot. She managed to muster up a little dignity and said "Fine." It didn't sound very convincing though.

She left the station. She got about halfway to her car. Mike you are not giving up on me. _I'm_ not giving up on you. And then she turned around her head forward. She was determined. Something going on with Mike. Ok, but El wanted answers and she wanted them right _now_.

She stomped back into the gas station and walked to the front of the counter with her hands on her hips.

"You know what Mike? Not. Fine. I really thought we had something. I was looking forward to whatever we did tonight. I didn't even care what it was, I just wanted to be with you. I come here and I get _this_?" She gestured towards him.

"What do you want me to say, El? Max told me you weren't the _least bit interested_ in double dating with me," Mike air quoted. "So I assumed that whatever we had was over and done with. Period."

"You know my friend Max?" El was thinking. Max. Her phone call. Her proposition. _Mike was the nerd._

I can fix this! El was jubilant. She told Mike what had probably happened. She could see Mike working through the logic, he was processing everything she had just told him.

His voice was shaky. "Um, I feel a special kind of stupid." He wiped his eyes.

He was crying! That he might have lost her. There was no more thinking about it. El loved Mike Wheeler. She really needed to let him know. Damn the consequences.

"It was a misunderstanding, if you know Max, she's not really big on details."

Mike was worried about her being alone outside and invited her into the back room.

"You want take me into the back room?" El said, a mischievous smile on her face. "Ok."

She would let him know some way about how she felt. She needed to know how Mike felt. They both needed to get this cleared up.

Mike did all the outside closing things he needed to do, locked the gas station door and led El to the back room.

It was cramped in that room, Mike sat her on the edge of the desk and went through his paperwork.

She had never seen anybody use an adding machine that quick. Probably those computer nerd keyboard skills coming in handy.

"Ok, I'm done. Just let me squeeze by you here, to get to the safe."

They both stood up, and Mike tried to squeeze by El. Their bodies touching drove the wind from El's lungs . He had never been this close to her. His face was inches from hers. He looked deep into her eyes.

El was lost in his. His full lips were slightly parted so close it would only take a slight tilting of her head, and maybe lift her heels and she could kiss him.

Mike said quietly. "Um, El? Yes or no?"

She looked into his eyes. She was going to cry.

"Only if you mean it, Mike." She closed her eyes, tilted her head slightly back.

She could feel the heat from his face. The guy she loved kissed her. He didn't even know he was kissing the girl who loved him. He lingered for a few seconds… then a bit longer. She kissed him back, she poured her heart into it.

Her first kiss with Mike Wheeler was the sweetest thing she'd ever experienced in her life.

"You are my first kiss, El."

"Mine too." She let the tears fall.

"It won't be the last El. I promise."

"I will hold you to that promise, Mike."

"A promise is something you can't break. Ever." Mike said.

El nodded. She could hear it in his voice. He meant it. He promised to kiss her again.

"Um, El. I'm not going to kiss you anymore as a… customer." He grinned, but then got serious again. "Will you go out with me?"

There it was. Instinctively she brought her hand up to her her head. It was stopped when Mike gently held her wrist. "You don't ever need to do that again. El."

She looked up into his eyes she could not help the tears forming. She simply nodded.

Mike let out a long breath. He must have been holding it a long time.

Her boyfriend put his hands on her waist and kissed her.


	7. Parked

Mike didn't want to go to Benny's. El was driving in that direction, they hadn't discussed what to do.

"Mike? Do you want to go someplace quiet and just talk… or you could even kiss me again."

"Yeah, I'm not sure I could drink coffee all night. Ok, let's go somewhere else. Junkyard?" Mike suggested?

"I was thinking of someplace a little more romantic than that…. Lover's Lake?"

"Um, uh, sure." Uh oh. What did Mike get himself into?

He knew Lover's Lake was a make-out spot, but he wasn't sure how far El wanted to go . He wasn't sure how far _he_ wanted to go. He wasn't the least bit prepared if El had something more intense in mind.

El found a secluded spot, even if other cars showed up they wouldn't noticed.

She turned off the car, turned to Mike and he could only describe what happened next as El launching herself at Mike.

This was not a simple kiss. Not a lingering kiss. This was a deep passionate kiss that had both their tongues involved, and resulted in an extreme physical effect on Mike.

El pulled back. "Ok, then."

"What's wrong?" Mike

"I'm wet." She said sitting farther back.

"Oh, did something get spilled on… the…" El just gave him a come hither look with her eyebrows raised.

"Oh, I get it." Mike said.

She reached her hands under her sweater and behind her back.

"Uh, what are you doing El?"

"I'm unhooking my bra."

"Um, why?"

"So you aren't fumbling around back there for an hour when you want… better access… to… my charms." She gave Mike a throaty giggle.

"Please don't."

"What's wrong Mike, don't you want to? Most guys want to get their hands under your sweater sooner than later."

"Yeah, but, if it wasn't obvious, El, I'm not most guys. I don't have any experience with girls. None. And I wanted my first time…" Mike felt his face burning with his admission.

"To not be in the backseat of my dad's car… it's ok Mike, you are a romantic, that's the best kind of boyfriend to have. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"I want it to be special… um, I'm not uncomfortable El. Actually I feel pretty good." Mike referred to his jeans.

El's eyes widened. "Oh!"

El swung her legs over Mike's thighs, straddling him, and they resumed their kissing. El applied a little pressure from rocking her hips slightly that turned into a lot of pressure. She ended up screaming into Mike's mouth.

She pulled away panting staring into Mike's eyes before looking away.

"Did you just give me a lap dance?"

El kept her eyes averted clearly embarrassed. "I think so Mike."

"Well it worked. And from the sound of it it worked for you too."

"Oh, it did, it so very worked for me... let's think of this as a compromise." El smiled at him. "Kind of a trial before the real thing. I didn't really mean for that to happen."

"Total success, I'd say."

"Yes it was." El agreed.

She snuggled close to Mike for body warmth and they fell asleep that way.

The eastern sun was bright and warm on their faces in the morning waking both of them. El had completely wrapped herself around Mike to keep warm. In the middle of the night Mike had carefully taken off his jacket and draped it over El's shoulders to keep her from getting cold. Her body heat had kept him comfy.

He could feel El yawning as she started to wake up.

Mike cleared his throat. "Seems like we spent the night together again."

"And our clothes are still on," El said.

"Yeah, but not quite as innocent as last night. And they were on _this_ time. Not promising anything next time."

"I'll promise that my clothes will be mostly off, you may have to do the rest."

"Your dad is gonna hurt me bad." Mike said. He was a little worried now that it was the light of day.

"I told him I might out all night, he didn't say a lot but he did tell me to be careful. And we were careful Mike. He trusts me not to do anything stupid."

"I was never going to let you do something you weren't comfortable with. I was ok with you jumping on me like that." Mike gave her a smile that made her swat his arm.

"If I'd waited for you Mike, I would never have known what your tongue felt like in my mouth."

"Geez El, don't start something."

She laughed. Was silent for a minute, then she looked totally serious. "Um, Mike? Something I need to tell you."

"Go ahead, El."

"I have to get a medical checkup today, something to do with my childhood." She was about to run her hand over head Mike could see she stopped herself.

"I might get some bad news. I'm ok, health-wise, but it will still be bad news. I don't want to be bitchy or morose around you, will you be able to give me a few days?" Her voice had taken on a meek quality that Mike found endearing, but knew it was definitely not good.

"Whatever time you need El. I'll just pine away in my lonely basement until you're ready." Mike had fully expected her to laugh.

Instead he saw tears, she was biting her bottom lip, and nodded. He pulled her into a hug, and said, "whatever it is El, you don't go through it alone, you have your dad… and you have me. Forever El."

El buried her face in her boyfriend's shoulder, managed a "thank you" before breaking down.

Hmm, this must be bad Mike thought. He was thinking of the short hair and how El was very self-conscious about, so it was probably connected.

A few minutes later Mike was worried. El was crying _really_ hard.

He pulled her away and looked into her eyes. "El. It's ok. It can't be that bad. You said you were ok, right? Anything else we can deal with."

"I meant what I said El. I've found the girl I want to be with for the rest of my life. I don't care what happens. I won't give up on you."

"Promise?" El could barely get the word out.

"Promise."

XXXXX

They hadn't decided where to go, but El started driving in the direction of Benny's.

"Mike? Do you want to go someplace quiet and just talk… or you could even kiss me again."

Mike suggested the Junkyard… typical guy, El smiled to herself. "I was thinking of someplace a little more romantic than that…. Lover's Lake?"

She hoped she wasn't being to forward in suggesting the legendary make-out spot, but she really wanted some alone time with Mike. At this point she wasn't sure how far she wanted to go with him, but if the feeling was right, she would go all the way with him. She was positive Mike had very little experience with girls when he'd said he didn't have a current girlfriend. She didn't feel like she'd be another notch in his belt.

El found a secluded spot, even if other cars showed up they wouldn't be noticed.

She turned off the car, turned to Mike and threw herself at him. She wasn't desperate, but maybe a little too eager.

She opened her mouth and let Mike know he could explore. And then it happened. She got really turned on without intending to.

El pulled back. "Ok, then."

"What's wrong?" Mike

She was aroused.

El thought it was cute that Mike didn't realize what she was referring at first.

"Oh, I get it." Mike said.

Ok, she was going to do it. She reached her hands under her sweater and behind her back.

"Uh, what are you doing El?"

"I'm unhooking my bra."

"Um, why?"

"So you aren't fumbling around back there for an hour when you want… better access… to… my charms." She gave Mike a throaty giggle.

"Please don't."

Mike's voice changed. As she suspected, he wasn't ready. This would be his first time. It would have been El's too, but she was fully read to give herself to him, both emotionally and physically.

"To not be in the backseat of my dad's car… it's ok Mike, you are a romantic, that's the best kind of boyfriend to have. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"I want it to be special… um, I'm not uncomfortable El. Actually I feel pretty good." Mike referred to his jeans.

El was blushing but even more turned on at the sight. El swung her legs over Mike's thighs, straddling him, and then attempted to pull Mike's tongue down her throat. She applied a little pressure by rocking her hips slightly and that turned into a lot of pressure. She was overcome with desire, easily reached her peak and screamed into Mike's mouth.

She hadn't been expecting that. She pulled away panting staring into Mike's eyes before looking away.

"Did you just give me a lap dance?"

It was just like Mike to put her at ease. She couldn't look at Mike but she agreed with him.

"Well it worked. And from the sound of it it worked for you too."

"Oh, it did, it so very worked for me... let's think of this as a compromise." El smiled at him. "Kind of a trial before the real thing. I didn't really mean for that to happen." No, she didn't mean for it to happen, but she wasn't surprised, Mike without even trying and quickly taken her to the edge and well over it.

"Total success, I'd say."

"Yes it was." El agreed. She was exhausted.

She snuggled close to Mike for body warmth and they fell asleep that way.

When she had woken up she was sprawled all over and around Mike. In the middle of the night Mike must have taken off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders to keep her from getting cold. Mike had kept her warm all night.

He cleared his throat. "Seems like we spent the night together again."

"And our clothes are still on," El said. Like that had made any difference.

"Yeah, but not quite as innocent as last night. And they were on _this_ time. Not promising anything next time."

"I'll promise that my clothes will be mostly off, you may have to do the rest." She could not wait to get naked for Mike.

"Your dad is gonna hurt me bad." Mike said. He was a little worried now that it was the light of day.

It was not going to be an issue. She'd told her dad that she was likely going to be spending the night with Mike, and he'd told her to be careful and said with a little sadness in his voice that his little girl was growing up. El had bitten her bottom lip. They had been through so much together it was painful to think he thought he was losing her.

"You aren't going to lose me, dad." She had shaken her head.

El assured Mike they were careful. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"I was never going to let you do something you weren't comfortable with. I was ok with you jumping on me like that." She swatted Mike's arm as he smiled at her.

El decided to tease him a little. "If I'd waited for you Mike, I would never have known what your tongue felt like in my mouth."

"Geez El, don't start something."

She laughed. But then stopped when she realized what day this was. Shit. she was going to have to tell Mike.

"Um, Mike? Something I need to tell you."

"Go ahead, El."

"I have to get a medical checkup today, something to do with my childhood." She was about to run her hand over head but caught herself before she did.

"I might get some bad news. I'm ok, health-wise, but it will still be bad news. I don't want to be bitchy or morose around you, will you be able to give me a few days?" She hated the idea of not seeing Mike for a few days, but she knew she was going to need some alone time with the news she was pretty sure she'd be getting.

"Whatever time you need El. I'll just pine away in my lonely basement until you're ready." He had made a joke, but El was spiraling down.

The tears started, she was bit her bottom lip, and nodded. He pulled her into a hug, and said, "whatever it is El, you don't go through it alone, you have your dad… and you have me. Forever El."

El was going to cry hard, she couldn't help it. She buried her face in her boyfriend's shoulder, managed a "thank you" before losing it completely.

El felt lost. Would Mike even want to be with her anymore once he found out what she already suspected? Probably not. Her heart was aching with the knowledge that this was probably the last time she was going to get to spend with the guy she was completely in love with. Her sobbing was causing her to hyperventilate a little bit.

Mike pulled her away and looked into her eyes. "El. It's ok. It can't be that bad. You said you were ok, right? Anything else we can deal with."

"I meant what I said El. I've found the girl I want to be with for the rest of my life. I don't care what happens. I won't give up on you."

"Promise?" She could barely get the word out but she desperately needed the comforting reply.

"Promise."


	8. Losing Her

Mike hadn't heard from El in three days. She hadn't come by the gas station to fill up. He hadn't expected to hear from her. She told him to give her some space and Mike wanted to respect her wishes. He'd only seen her angry with him once. He got the feeling she would be a force of nature if she ever got really angry.

After a week he still had no word. A little bit of worry creeped into the back of his mind. El said she was ok, he wasn't worried about her health, maybe it was just something leftover from a childhood disease.

Mike figured El would tell him in her own time if she wanted him to know.

They hadn't spent a lot of time together, but Mike was missing her. That, on top of the worry was making him restless.

Mike was sitting on the sofa in the basement trying to decide what to do with himself. He noticed a movement on the stairs and saw El coming down quietly.

She wasn't looking at him.

"El!" He got up and went to her to kiss her. She turned her face up to meet his and he noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She didn't let him kiss her though, she pulled back and put her hand on his chest to keep him away.

"What's wrong El?"

"I wanted to do this in person. You deserve at least that much."

"Deserve what, El. What's going on?"

"We need to end our relationship before it goes on any longer."

"What?" Mike had a bad feeling crawling up his spine. "We just got together El. I told you I'd be with you through whatever you were going through." As he was talking El was shaking her head.

I'm losing her Mike thought. I'm losing her and I have no idea how to stop this.

"I will only break your heart Mike"

Mike looked down, "you're breaking it now El. I wish you'd tell me what's going on."

El started to cry, "I can't. You're a smart, logical person, you'd never believe me. I'd make a mess out of trying to explain it."

"I can't make you tell me El. If you say it's over between us…" Mike's voice hitched. "...then I guess it's over."

"You'll find someone else Mike."

"Don't want anybody else. I told you last week, I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life. Now you are saying that can't happen." Mike was done. He could not longer keep his eyes dry.

"If you ever change your mind El, I'll… wait for you." He wiped his eyes

El turned with her head down and left quietly.

...and I've lost her. Mike thought. I didn't even get to introduce her to my friends, or Nancy or my parents.

Mike sat on the sofa and put his head in his hands.

El was gone.

Mike gave himself about fifteen minutes after before making his decision.

"Not giving up on you El. Not gonna happen."

Mike's bike still wasn't fixed and his parents car wasn't around, so he found himself, once again, walking in the rain. This time he was headed to the animal shelter.

Once there he was soaked to the bone, he walked up to the intake counter.

"Can I help you sir?" A lady behind the counter said.

"Yes, I'm looking for El Hopper?"

"Can I ask who's asking?"

"Mike Wheeler I'm… was her boyfriend."

"Was?" The woman immediately looked at Mike with her eyes taking on a suspicious shade.

"It's complicated." Mike looked defeated, he cast his eyes downward

"It always is. Would she mind if I told you where she was?"

"Probably… sorry to have bothered you. If you see her… if you see her, tell her I'm not giving up on her." Mike kept his head down hunched his shoulders and walked back out into the rain.

This time he was headed for the police station.

It was a longer trudge than Mike would have liked, but he was already soaked. He couldn't get any more waterlogged than he already was.

Flo was the first person he saw when he asked to speak to the Chief.

"Sorry dear, he's taken a leave of absence with his daughter. You must be Mike. Jim told me I'd probably see you"

"How long?"

"They left a week ago, he took 4 weeks. He said he would check in, do you have a message for him."

What was going on with El? "Yeah, tell him I'm not giving up on her. I don't think… I don't think she'd want me to."

Flo smiled at him and wink. "I'll tell him personally dear."

Mike walked out of the station, more dejected than he'd ever been in his life. Troy had never made him feel this bad on his worst day.

Trying to find El would be futile. If the Chief of Police was hiding her, she'd stay hidden. Obviously not in Hawkins anymore, Mike couldn't afford to take a bus around the surrounding towns to find her. He had no idea where to start anyway.

Mike waited another week.

Then two weeks.

His growing frustration was driving him crazy.

Finally one night after closing up, he was just setting the alarms when heard a knuckle rap on the glass of the gas station door.

It was Hopper.

"Get in the blazer, you're going for a ride."

Mike didn't ask any questions.

"I'm going to take you to her. I'm not going to take a direct route, and you're putting on this."

Hopper tossed him a hood. It looked a lot like an executioner's hood.

Mike put on the hood "There's gonna be some walking involved, you're still going to be wearing it. I gave your parents a bullshit camping story. You're mother and sister packed a bag for you. It's in the back seat. You may be a few days. Told your boss to hold your job. You're covered."

Mike was now super worried about what was going on with El. He thought it was serious, but he'd never gotten the idea it was this serious.

It seemed like they'd driven for a long time. Finally the vehicle came to a stop. "Get out, keep the hood on."

Mike tried his best to get out without falling on his ass. "Start walking, I'll steer you."

Mike could tell he was walking in a forest, he could hear the leaves crunch underneath his feet. He could smell the leaves, the wood of the trees, the fresh cold air.

"Stop."

Mike stopped. "I want you to pretend there is a foot high pile of shit right in front of you. Step over it. I'll steady you."

Mike did as he was told.

There was a bit more walking, then. "Steps."

Mike almost tripped up the steps. "Ok, Mike? El is in bad shape, she got bad news and she's here on a bit of a retreat. When she's not crying about what happened to her, she's crying about you. Don't screw this up. If she means anything to you, don't screw this up or I'll be driving you back, but you'll be a whole lot less happy." Hoppers was growling. He his voice almost had a mean quality to it.

"We clear?"

Mike nodded, but Hopper probably couldn't see him nod in the dark under the hood.

"I said, are we clear?"

"Yes sir"

"Good." Mike could hear a funny knock, and then a lot of locks unlatching at once. Hopper gave him a firm push through the door and then grabbed the drop of the hood and pulled it off Mike's head.

"Mike?" When El saw him she didn't get halfway across the floor before she started blubbering uncontrollably.

She ran into Mike's arms. And he hugged her as tightly as he could. "I wasn't going to give up on you."

El nodded her head, "I heard." She was sobbing weakly on his shoulder.

Mike held her for close to an hour before walking her to the sofa where she fell asleep in his arms.


	9. Losing Him

Dr. Sam Owens walked into the room. When he saw the look on El's face he knew he was going to have to deliver the information with a better bedside manner than he was used to. He'd fallen out of the habit once he'd gotten out of general medical practice and into research.

"Ok, I'm not going to sugar coat this too much, but the news is not terrible. Not great but not terrible."

"Get on with it, doc." Hopper was giving him a look.

"El can get pregnant, um, with qualifiers."

"Qualifiers?"

"She would have to, let's say, have multiple sessions… in one night of… activity to have any kind of chance."

"What are you trying to say, Owens?"

El looked back and forth from her dad to Dr. Owens, "he means I have to have sex with Mike all night long. Multiple times. All night." She smiled.

El had never seen two grown men with faces that red who wouldn't look at each other, or at her.

"Oooookay, the other news, is maybe something that you don't want to hear. I'm just going to come right out with it." He looked directly at El.

"You're abilities did not disappear, or even get reduced in strength from not using them. As a matter of fact, it looks like they are stronger than they've ever been, even stronger than we imagined they could be. We've already seen during testing that the nosebleeds are gone."

"And we also know that extreme emotional feelings from you can trigger them, without a lot of control on your part. So think, breaking glass, bending metal, lifting heavy objects. It's not my place to say, but practice in controlling it will go along way for you to reduce or even eliminate an emotional response."

"What kind of extreme emotional response?" El asked.

Owens turned red again. "The aforementioned sex, anger, crying. They… have to be pretty intense for it to trigger, and it may not, but with your lack of practice I would count on something until you can control it."

Dr. Owens got a little quiet as he saw the tears fall down El's face. "Sorry kiddo, I was hoping it would be better news for you."

XXXXX

El was silent in the car on the way back home. Both her and her dad were able to take time off work and just go to the quiet of the cabin and think.

"What are you going to do about Mike?" Her dad gave her a quick glance while driving.

"End it." El said. She didn't sound convinced of her decision. Even to herself.

"What? And give up all that sex?" Her dad was trying to make her laugh but clearly embarrassed to be talking to his daughter that way. It didn't have the intended effect , she burst out crying instead.

"Sorry, honey. I think Mike would be ok with everything. Didn't you tell me he promised himself to you for life. That's a big commitment from a guy that age who's not ready to hear bad news."

XXXXX

El gave herself a full week before she was sure.

Mike's mother let her in. She made her way to the basement, and saw Mike sitting alone, restless. No doubt worried about her.

She couldn't look at him. She knew he'd come over to kiss her, but she couldn't let him. She had to end this as cleanly as she could.

"What's wrong El?"

"I wanted to do this in person. You deserve at least that much."

"Deserve what, El. What's going on?"

"We need to end our relationship before it goes on any longer."

"What?" Mike sounded confused..

"We just got together El. I told you I'd be with you through whatever you were going through."

As he was talking El shook her head. "I will only break your heart Mike"

El felt her own hear break when Mike said, "you're breaking it now El. I wish you'd tell me what's going on."

She started to cry, "I can't. You're a smart, logical person, you'd never believe me. I'd make a mess out of trying to explain it." At least that much was true.

Then he said the words she was dreading to hear. "I can't make you tell me El. If you say it's over between us…" Mike's voice hitched. "...then I guess it's over."

I'm losing him, El thought. I will never be able to fix this.

"You'll find someone else Mike."

"Don't want anybody else. I told you last week, I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life. Now you are saying that can't happen."

The hurt in his voice tore at her heart. "If you ever change your mind El… I'll… wait for you." Mike was crying.

El turned with her head down and left quietly.

...and I've lost him. I'll never meet his family or his friends. I'll never have another date with him. Never kiss him again. I'll never be with him again.

El went home to cry. The cabin shook with her tears. "What have I done?"

After another week she called into work, she was told by her boss that a young man had come in. Very distraught, soaked from walking in the rain.

"He left you a message."

"He did?" El was hoping it wasn't a pleading _come back to me_ message. That was cliche and not Mike. He wouldn't do that.

"He said to tell you he wasn't giving up on you. That boy is in love, El. I don't know what he did, but he wants to make it up to you. You should have seen the determination on that face."

El could barely hang up the phone before she collapsed into a puddle of tears. He didn't do anything! It was me. I didn't trust him with my secret. Once again the cabin shook with her keening.

After three weeks of crying herself to asleep, crying most of the day, she started getting the old cabin fever.

It didn't help when one night her dad came home, "got a message from Flo today."

El liked Flo, not a mean bone in her body.

"Not sure you want to hear it."

"I already know what it is dad." El looked down.

"Oh," he looked up at her with raised eyebrows.

"Mike went there to tell you that he's not giving up on me."

He came over and gave her a side hug, kissed the top of her head. "You know he loves you right?"

El nodded, her dry eyes finding more tears to shed.

"I know it's late… can you… can you go get him dad?"

"Leaving right now."

XXXXX

The wait for that knock was the longest wait of El's life. When it came she almost tore the locks off with her mind by opening them so fast.

A figure walked through, wearing a dark hood. It was pulled off, then she saw him.

Mike.

She didn't remember saying anything.

She didn't remember running into his arms.

But she remembered the way he hugged her tightly. Like he didn't want to let go. She didn't want him to let go.

She remembered crying so hard her legs had given out.

She remembered being practically carried over to the sofa and falling asleep.

Falling asleep in the arms of the boy she would love forever.


	10. Plus Sign

El woke up. Mike was snoring lightly. She still had her arms around him, and he was still holding on to her tightly. Her dad must have thrown a blanket over them before he left for the weekend.

She sighed deeply and snuggled up closer to Mike nuzzling his neck.

She was going to tell him everything today. The lab, her abilities, everything.

She fell asleep again for a bit and finally was woken by Mike stirring. She looked up at him.

"I love you, El." he said and tightened his arms around her slightly. El thought she would die on the spot, her heart fluttered wildly.

She nodded and gave him a closed mouth kiss, "My breath must be horrible, I love you too." Probably smells like ass, but I want to kiss him, she thought.

Mike laughed, "ok, of all the things I thought you were going to say, that first thing was not one of them."

"Am I…" El closed her eyes. She had to ask, she was not quite sure of what he would he say, "am still your girlfriend?"

"We just spent our third night together, El. I think that counts. And with our clothes on. Again."

I'm going to change that tonight I think, she was pretty sure she was ready, if Mike could handle what she was going to tell him today, that would be her sign.

El smiled at him. "I have to tell you something Mike. It's not going to be nice… and some of it is going to be very hard to believe." Mike didn't look worried at all. In fact he seemed to be happy just being here. She hoped that wouldn't change once she finished.

"Let's go outside for a walk." Mike said.

"Walking in the rain?"

"Well, you aren't driving a car so I think I'm safe." Mike gave her a radiant smile. Her heart melted a little bit.

They put on their rain gear and walked outside of the cabin.

"Um, El? Where am I."

She grabbed his hand, their finger easily intertwined. She took a deep breath. "Mike, you know about Hawkins Lab?"

"Lucas told me that it's run by the Department of Energy or something?"

"That's a bullshit cover story. Oh, sorry Mike, I'm not usually a potty mouth, I get that from my dad who is." El couldn't help herself blushing a little.

"You and your dad know this for a fact?"

"From the time I was born to when I was about ten or eleven years old. I was experimented on at the lab."

She could see Mike was about to laugh but then she saw his eyes change and knew that she was telling the truth. She could see his beautiful eyes start to water.

"No… El." The rain falling on his face was not able to conceal the tears that started.

"I escaped, and my dad found me in the woods, we lived in this cabin for close to two years. It wasn't easy." She led Mike through the woods. I need to show him she thought.

"It was really bad wasn't it." He made more of a statement than ask a question. El could see the tears flowing freely down his cheeks, she wanted to kiss each one away but she wasn't done telling him everything.

"They made me kill animals, if I wanted to eat, or sleep on a bed."

Mike nodded, unable to talk.

"They wanted me to kill people."

Mike dropped to his knees with his face in his hands. This is hurting him. El knelt beside him keeping a brave face to him. "I'm sorry Mike, if we are going to be together... I still have nightmares about it. Fewer than I used to, but you needed to know, when we are… sleeping together."

Mike looked at her hair but then he looked back into her eyes. He didn't say anything but she figured he made the connection anyway.

"I have to ask again… I think I know the answer…" El thought, I _hope_ I know the answer. "… am I still your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, El… I understand now. I'm so sorry…" She put a finger on his lips.

"It's over… I have my dad, I have a safe place… and I have a boyfriend who loves me…" She surprised herself by bursting into tears.

Mike hugged her in the rain. "You are always going to have that now El."

"There's one more thing."

El could see his stunned face. She could see he was preparing himself for something really bad. He looked terrified.

"This one isn't so bad, Mike. I used to think it was, but it's not really. I just have to be careful. Look over there." El looked at a large tree stump to their left and nodded towards it.

Mike looked confused.

"You have no idea what's coming next do you?" She smiled at him.

He looked so relieved that what he was about to hear might not be so bad, she felt her heart squeeze a little. Was it possible to love someone this much? Yes, because I do. I hope he feels the same way. Maybe this will help a little bit.

"You know how hard those are to remove?"

Mike looked at her, not quite comprehending what she was getting at, "um, this is a little weird El, I don't know what you're getting at."

El tilted her head forward towards the stump. Mike's eyes widened when he saw the stump move. The ground made ripping and snapping sounds as the stump lifted, trailing roots underneath. It rose ten feet, then twenty feet, then forty feet. Dirt was falling from the stump, now close to what had to be one hundred feet in the air as the last of the roots pulled from the mangled ground. She flung the tree away from them and it crashed to the ground about a hundreds yards from them. It sounded like a train wreck.

She thought his eyes would bug from his head when he turned to look at her. She was about to be bombarded with questions she wouldn't be able to answer.

Instead Mike just said, "The girl I love has super powers. How cool is that?"

"You are ok with that?"

"Are you kidding El? I'm… you can't let anybody know you can do that. You'd have the government… oh…" He turned solemn. "You already know how to hide yourself. Your secret is safe with me."

Mike grabbed on to her hand and let her towards another large stump, he crouched down and took something silver out of his pocket.

"What are you doing Mike?"

XXXXX

Mike woke up. El still had her arms around his middle and he was still holding on to her. They had fallen asleep that way. He tried to adjust without waking her up, but he was unsuccessful. She looked up at him.

Mike was overwhelmed at the sight of her large round eyes looking at him. "I love you, El." he said and tightened his arms around her. His heart raced. There. It was out. Now she knows how I feel.

She nodded slightly, her lips pouted a little she kissed him. She turned her head. "My breath must be horrible, I love you too."

Mike laughed, "ok, of all the things I thought you were going to say, that first thing was not one of them."

"Am I…" she closed her eyes... am still your girlfriend?" Mike was about to ask her if they were still together but this confirmed it for him. She still wanted to be with him.

He made a joke about their third time spending the night.

El smiled at him. "I have to tell you something Mike. It's not going to be nice… and some of it is going to be very hard to believe." He had no idea what she was getting at. He needed some fresh air though. So he made a suggestions.

"Let's go outside for a walk." Mike said.

"Walking in the rain?"

Mike made another joke. He wanted to keep it light so she knew that he could handle whatever she wanted to tell him.

They put on their rain gear and walked outside of the cabin.

He was in the woods, apparently in the middle of nowhere. "Um, El? Where am I."

She grabbed his hand, their finger easily intertwined. He saw her take a deep breath. "Mike, you know about Hawkins Lab?"

"Lucas told me that it's run by the Department of Energy or something?"

"That's a bullshit cover story. Oh, sorry Mike, I'm not usually a potty mouth, I get that from my dad who is." El turned a bit red.

"You and your dad know this for a fact?"

"From the time I was born to when I was about ten or eleven years old. I was experimented on at the lab."

He was about to laugh but she looked deadly serious. Oh shit, this was going to be bad. The girl he loved was about to reveal her past, it was so bad she wanted to spare him this by ending their relationship, but now it seemed like she was going to trust him with her secret. At that moment he thought his heart would swell to bursting with the love he felt for her.

He wasn't going to be able to hold back. "No… El." The rain falling on his face was not able to conceal the drops of tears he felt sliding down his cheeks.

"I escaped, and my dad found me in the woods, we lived in this cabin for close to two years. It wasn't easy." She was leading him through the woods.

"It was really bad wasn't it." Mike felt stupid even saying it. He couldn't think of anything else to keep the attention away from his crying.

"They made me kill animals, if I wanted to eat, or sleep on a bed."

He nodded. He couldn't talk.

"They wanted me to kill people."

He felt his knees give out. Oh El. His chest tightened and his breathing quickened. She knelt beside him. Her face stoic as she continued. . "I'm sorry Mike, if we are going to be together... I still have nightmares about it. Fewer than I used to, but you needed to know, when we are… sleeping together."

Mike looked at her hair but then he looked back into her eyes. So that's why her hair was short. Who knows what else they did to her. She was probably keeping the worst from him. In time he would ask, maybe. But he knew this was hurting her just to tell him this much.

"I have to ask again… I think I know the answer…" Her eyes were pleading with him.. "… am I still your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, El… I understand now. I'm so sorry…" She put a finger on his lips.

"It's over… I have my dad, I have a safe place… and I have a boyfriend who loves me…" Her composure dissolved and she burst into tears.

Mike hugged her in the rain. He have squeezed too hard but she didn't seem to notice. "You are always going to have that now El."

"There's one more thing."

There's more? How can a girl, the sweetest person he'd ever known have _more_ bad news? Oh, shit, this is going to be really bad. Mike was scared to death at the next thing El might say.

"This one isn't so bad, Mike. I used to think it was, but it's not really. I just have to be careful. Look over there." El looked at a large tree stump to their left and nodded towards it.

Mike looked confused.

"You have no idea what's coming next do you?"

She had smile on her face that made him so relieved he thought he was faint dead away. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, but she caught him completely off guard when she said, "you know how hard those are to remove?"

Mike looked at her, where was she going with this? , "um, this is a little weird El, I don't know what you are getting at."

She tilted her head forward towards the stump. Mike's thought his eyes would pop out of his head when he saw the stump move. The ground made ripping and snapping sounds as the stump lifted, trailing roots underneath. It had to be one hundred feet in the air before it stopped, the last of the roots pulled from the ground. Suddenly flew away from them and crashed to the ground about a hundreds yards from them. The sound was deafening in the quiet woods.

Mike said, "The girl I love has super powers. How cool is that?"

"You;re ok with that?"

He gave her a warning about letting anybody else know, but now he knew that she was used to being careful. Probably had been for her entire life.

Mike grabbed on to her hand and let her towards another large stump, he crouched down and pulled out a multi-tool he used sometimes at the gas station.

"What are you doing Mike?"

Mike carved deeply into the large tree trunk.

M.W. then a few inches below that. E.H.

"I've always wanted to carve my initials into a tree trunk with a girl I loved." He looked back to where she was standing. She came forward and knelt beside him.

El beamed a smile at him.

"But there's more."

He carved a heart around their initials. He could see a tear falling from her eye.

"You carve it into a tree trunk, deep enough and it grows with the tree, this is a stump, so it's not going to grow anymore, but.."

He carved a plus sign between their initials..

"It will stay like this forever El. Because that's how long I'm going to love you."


End file.
